The Coventry Food Bank has issued an urgent appeal after reporting a critical shortfall in supplies at its Halo Centre warehouse in Binley.
Sharp gap between food distributed and donated
The charity — part of the Trussell Trust network — says the amount of food leaving its warehouse is now significantly higher than what is being donated. In May alone, 11 tonnes of food were distributed while just 6 tonnes were donated, producing a five‑tonne deficit — described by the organisation as enough to support roughly 900 people.
"We are down to our last 20 pallets, and we are missing a huge number of the individual items that make up a balanced food parcel,"
The food bank marked 15 years of operation earlier this year, having been founded in May 2011. Since opening, it has supported more than 250,000 people according to the charity's records.
Immediate consequences and warnings
Canon Gavin Kibble, the founder, warned that the current pattern where almost twice as much food leaves the warehouse compared with last year is not sustainable. He said the charity could be forced to reduce the number of people it feeds each month if the shortfall continues.
- May outflow: 11 tonnes
- May donations: 6 tonnes
- Current warehouse stock: around 20 pallets
How Coventry residents can help
The food bank has appealed to local people for donations of non‑perishable items. The charity suggested that if households could spare one or two items from a weekly shop it would make "a real difference".
Local churches, charities and community groups that work with the food bank will be directly affected if levels fall further, with potential knock‑on effects for families and individuals who rely on monthly food parcels.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Food distributed (May) | 11 tonnes |
| Food donated (May) | 6 tonnes |
| Estimated people supported by deficit | 900 people |
The food bank's appeal underscores ongoing pressure on local support services as demand remains high. It also highlights the role of community donations in sustaining emergency food provision across Coventry. Residents able to help are encouraged to prioritise non‑perishable items to restore balanced food parcels and maintain distribution levels.
